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When you’re getting ready to look your best time is at a premium, so time savers are lifesavers. Even after you shower, add drying to styling and it can all start to feel like too much, whether you have curly, treated, or too-limp hair. Or maybe you want to look like you’ve just come from getting a salon-perfect blowout…every single day. Those are two good reasons why the new two-in-one beauty tools, like the cult-status blow dryer brushes have become so wildly popular.
Blow dryer brushes, also called hair dryer brushes, or hot air brushes, work to dry and style your hair at the same time and don’t require any special skills or training to give yourself that swoon-worthy professional blowout look. Even a hairstyling novice can use one to smooth, style, dry, and give themselves a sensational blowout all in one simple step. I spoke to Savannah Ray, a trusted hairstylist in Portland, OR who gave me the lowdown on some of the hot air brushes and the best way to use them safely (scroll down after our top picks to see more how-tos and what-to-look-fors).
So you could find the absolute best blow brushes available to buy in 2021, we did the research and consulted the experts. Now it’s up to you to choose the best one to fit your preferences. So, here it is! The definitive list of the absolute best blow dryer brushes you need in your life. Go get yours!
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1. Best for fine hair: Drybar The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush
Pros:- Adds shine and volume to fine hair
- Drybar is the OG brand when it comes to blowouts
- Barrel size and oval shape perfect for adding volume
- Handle does not overheat
Cons:- Need both hands to change settings
- Better for fine hair than thick hair
- Expense
I never met a Drybar product I didn’t like, and the Drybar The Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush is no different. It’s one of hairstylist, Savannah Ray’s top picks also since it’s a trusted, tried and true brand. Drybar salons practically invented the concept of the easy on-the-go blowout, after all (thank you, Drybar!).
The Drybar hair dryer brush is at the top of our list for fine hair because the barrel is just right for adding shine and volume. You can choose between cold, medium, and high settings. And the combo of the cutout airflow vents and nylon/tufted brush bristles will dry and style your hair in record time.
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2. Amazon bestseller: REVLON One-Step Hair Dryer And Volumizer Hot Air Brush
Pros:- Dries and styles at the same time in under 15 minutes
- Reduces frizz and increases shine in a gorgeous blowout look
- Inexpensive and less than the cost of one pro blowout
- Amazon bestseller with over 150K 5-star reviews
Cons:- Can get very hot
- Loud sound
- Bristles may fall out
The Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush is the number one selling blow dryer brush on Amazon with roughly 150,000 5-star reviews. Can you say cult status? The folks at Revlon can because they have created a truly iconic product that’s on Amazon’s most-wished-for beauty products list.
Reviewers love the simplicity and ease of use. You don’t need to have hair care training to operate this Revlon hair dryer brush to come away with salon-worthy results at home. There are two heat settings and a cool shot setting for a smooth finish. It’ll cut your drying time way down, and give your hair the frizz-free blowout shine you expect from a stylist’s professional blowout.
Find more REVLON One-Step Hot Air Brush information and reviews here.
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3. Best for fighting frizz: CHI Volumizer 4-in-1 Blowout Brush with Advanced Ion Generator
Pros:- Super strong 1000 W DC Motor
- Uses ion and ceramic technology for high shine with less heat damage
- Versatile styling heads work with any hair type
- Extra long swivel cord is tangle-free
- Feels super lightweight
Cons:- Non-dual voltage
- Small extra parts can break
- Hairs can snag on attachments
CHI is a powerhouse hairstyling and hair tools brand for a reason. This CHI Volumizer 4-in-1 Blowout Brush is on our list of favorites for several reasons. CHI is known for its awesome double-technology approach to hairstyling with heat-protection, or as they put it: “Ceramic Technology combined with Ion Technology provides unparalleled shine and reduce heat damage by preserving natural hair moisture.” So if you’re concerned about protecting your hair from heat damage, look no further.
We think it’s number one for frizzy hair, with its low-heat functionality that reduces static electricity. But the CHI blow dryer brush is also a great choice because it’s versatile. With four interchangeable end attachments, you can work on any hair type with this product. With one purchase you get the round brush, a diffuser, a nozzle, and a paddle brush attachment. So you really are getting four-in-one heat styling tools here.
Pro tip: for even more heat protection, try using a CHI heat protecting spray with the blowout brush.
Find more CHI Volumizer 4-in-1 Blowout Brush information and reviews here.
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4. Best self-spinning brush: INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR Spin Air Rotating Styler / Hot Air Brush
Pros:- Self-rotating brush makes styling even more foolproof
- Ceramic and Ion tech dry hair with less heat damage
- Tangle-free Boar and nylon bristles help disperse hair's natural oils
Cons:- Self-rotating makes things easier after the initial learning curve
- Small barrel brush
- Brush shaft could be longer
The Infiniti Pro is a Spin Air Rotating Styler Hot Air Brush is from the well-known brand, Conair. We are obsessed with the fact that this blow dryer brush actually does its own spinning, saving your arm and wrist the trouble! Talk about machines taking over the world. Anyway, Once you get the hang of it, the Infiniti Pro self-spinner takes the guesswork out of the at-home blowout. It can be hard to get used to the self-spinning action, however. But once you know, you know.
The one-and-a-half-inch brush creates natural curls and waves, and the airflow cuts your drying time in half. It works best if you air dry or rough dry your hair a bit first, and finish the look off with the Infiniti Pro.
Find more INFINITIPRO BY CONAIR Spin Air Rotating Styler information and reviews here.
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5. The best serious splurge: Dyson Airwrap Styler Volume and Shape
Pros:- Fastest dryer ever made with dyson motor technology
- Most versitile hair tool available with 8 attachments
- Proven less-damaging to hair with controlled, even heat from air, not a hot iron
- Will save hours off your life with fast drying and styling
- Style will stay in hair for longer
- Flex on your friends with your fancy hair tool
- Avoid heat damage--this will add up over time
Cons:- High cost
- Sold out almost everywhere driving price up
- Curler takes getting used to
What’s the ultimate flex in any hairstyling arsenal? Owning a styling tool made by Dyson. Is the price splurgy? Yes. Is it worth every penny? Beauty editors, beauty award and innovation judges, and at-home users across the globe seem to think so! And no big surprise here, it’s one of hairstylist, Savannah Ray’s top picks also since it’s a trusted, tried and true brand.
The Dyson Airwrap combines the perfect airflow technology to dry your hair with just-right and evenly-dispersed heat to style it. This amazing tool cuts your dry and style time waaaaay down and your polished results waaaaay up and makes you feel like you’re inside the Jetsons while you’re doing your hair.
The complete set comes with: 1.2 inch Airwrap barrels “engineered to create voluminous curls or waves,” a soft smoothing brush that “creates a smooth, blow-dry finish,” and has “soft, ball-tip bristles engineered to be gentle on the scalp.” You’ll also get a “round volumizing brush” that’s “engineered to volumize and shape fine, flat hair.” There’s also the “pre-styling dryer” which works pretty much instantly and is like no other dryer you’ve ever used.
Find more Dyson Airwrap Styler Volume and Shape information and reviews here.
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6. Best for big volume: Bed Head One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush
Pros:- Tourmaline ceramic technology
- Boosts shine and revives 2nd day style
- Oval design for max volume and control
- 1100 Watts with 3 heat settings
- Great value price
Cons:- Can build to a very hot temp
- Bristles can melt if you leave it on
- Can feel heavy after a while
The Bed Head brand is synonymous with big hair with lots of luscious volume. And that’s what you’ll get with their One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush. The large oval shape of the barrel is perfect giving you tons of control and tons of sky-high volume, even if your hair type is normally flat as a pancake.
The mixed pattern bristles (hard and simulation boars hair) are great for producing volume, yet giving your style definition at the same time. Watch the video for an easy tutorial on how to produce film star waves with the oval barrel. Or you can, of course, use it similarly to a paddle brush and smooth hair into a silky curtain.
Find more Bed Head One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer information and reviews here.
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7. Best for straightening curly hair: Drybar The Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush
Pros:- Straightens the curliest hair with paddle brush and heat
- Super powerful heater up to 150 degrees F
- Much faster than traditional flat iron
- Small and packable
- Great for curly, kinky hair but works for thin also
Cons:- Can damage hair if you misuse
- Should blow dry hair most of the way first to avoid damage
- Won't dry hair from sopping wet
If you have a head full of unruly curls you would like to tame but don’t want to use chemical relaxers, or have time to wait for a keratin treatment to work, you should do yourself a favor and have The Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush in your styling tool arsenal. Another first-rate creation from the blowout OG’s, Drybar, the Brush Crush is perfect to smooth extra curly, or extra thick poofs of hair.
It works best if you air or blow dry most of the way first. Not everyone will love that, but you’ll get truly salon-quality results and the absolute least damage that way. Then use a heat protectant spray and then pull the brush through each section to reveal lovely, smooth, non-frizzy curtains of hair in much less time and with less direct heat damage than a traditional flat iron.
Find more Drybar The Brush Crush Heated Straightening Brush information and reviews here.
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8. Best for travel: Marcel Rand Hot Air Brush: 2 in 1 Volumizing Brush and Dryer
Pros:- It's lightweight with a nice box and comes with a hard travel case that zips
- Oval shape barrel for volume and control
- Ceramic and ion tech smooth and reduce frizz
- Inlcudes both tuft and nylong pin bristles
- Swivel cord and ergonomic handle
- One year warranty
Cons:- Bristles can fall out (but there's an extra long warranty)
- High-pitched noise
- Best for medium or short hair
The Marcel Rand Hot Air Brush looks simply grand in its luxe black and gold packaging. It also packs up nicely in its high-quality zip-up traveling case. That, and its lightweight, all-in-one status, make it a top pick for a great traveling blow dryer brush.
Ceramic coating and ionic technology combine to help this blow dryer brush create big volume without any yucky frizz. And the nylon pin and tufted bristles work wonders for detangling while improving volume and control. Just towel dry hair, maybe give it a rough dry, add some heat protectant, and brush!
Find more Marcel Rand Hot Air Brush: 2 in 1 Volumizing Brush and Dryer information and reviews here.
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9. Best for curls: BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Rotating Hot Air Brush
Pros:- Brush rotates in 2 directions and can be switched to still
- Reduces frizz and increases shine in a gorgeous blowout look
- Removable filter extends motor life
- 2-inch barrel works for many hair types
Cons:- To be used when hair is mostly dry
- Learning curve
- Hairs can snag on attachments
Similar to the Infiniti Pro Spin Air Rotating Styler Hot Air Brush, the BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Rotating Hot Air Brush is a self-rotating blow dryer brush that will help you create salon-level volume, shine, and even waves. There’s a learning curve with the self-rotating function, but once you’ve practiced a couple of times, it’s way easier to create pro-looking waves and curls with the self-rotating function than the old-fashioned way. The BaBylissPRO Nano has a larger barrel than the Infinity Pro (2 inches vs. 1.5) and will rotate in two directions, vs. just one.
Find more BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Rotating Hot Air Brush information and reviews here.
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10. Great for all hair types: L’Ange Hair Le Volume 2-in-1 Volumizing Brush Blow Dryer
Pros:- Cuts down drying time
- Lightweight and easy to wield
- Loved by beauty editors
- Handles your frizz like woah
- Great for dealing with humidity hair
Cons:- Some people like a thinner brush
- Can get very hot
- Takes longer to work on very thick hair
Real customers’ reviews for L’Ange Hair Le Volume 2-in-1 Volumizing Brush Blow Dryer are peppered with phrases like “worth every penny,” “takes half the time as usual,” “easy to use,” and “highly recommend.” Folks with thin and thick hair alike praise its general ability to smooth the frizz and shorten style time.
And as one gushing reviewer recently put it in POPSUGAR Beauty, “I’m ready to break up with all of my other hair tools.” Convinced? At a solid middle-of-the-road price, you’re going to be happy with this high-quality, works-on-all-hair-types powerhouse.
Find more L’Ange Hair Le Volume Volumizing Brush Blow Dryer information and reviews here.
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11. Best budget buy: Techip Blow Dryer Brush Hair Dryer & Volumizer
Pros:- Really low price compared to similar products
- Negative ions and ceramic coating smooth hair and reduce heat damage
- Oval brush design for bigger volume
Cons:- Can get very hot
- Some have stopped working
- Can start smoking
The Blow Dryer Brush Hair Dryer & Volumizer from Techip looks and feels remarkably like some of the more expensive models of hot air brushes. Three speed and temperature settings make your styling session customizable. It also features hair-saving, heat-damage-preventing measures like ceramic coating and negative ion technology, not to mention a handy dandy swivel cord to make handling the brush easier while styling. Of course with this budget option, you don’t get the same brand recognition as you do with the more expensive, luxury models. And of course you will miss out on the trust and confidence you get with those name brands as well. It’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons!
Find more Techip Blow Dryer Brush Hair Dryer & Volumizer information and reviews here.
How to Use Blow Dryer Brushes
Blow dryer brushes are the ultimate 2-in-1 hair heroes. Drying and styling in one step? Yes, please! But can it really be as simple as stepping out of the shower and plugging in? Almost. I spoke with hairstylist Savannah Ray of Portland, OR who had this to say: "Your hair is in its most fragile state while wet so it is important to prep your hair prior to using a blow-dry brush. I would recommend you use a heat protectant distributed evenly through your hair followed by blow-drying your hair with a standard dryer until it is about 70% dry. At this point, you can begin using your blow-dry brush to eliminate the remaining moisture and shape your hair however you desire."
What to Look for in a Hot Air Brush
Zoya Ghamari, salon owner and stylist in Dallas, TX told Byrdie that some of the most important things to look for in a hot air brush are temperature control, bristle type, and cool shot.
Do Blow Dryer Brushes Damage Your Hair?
Blow dryer brushes, hot air brushes, hair dryer brushes, whatever you want to call them, treat your hair with heat so they do have the potential to harm hair. However, if you air dry or rough blow dry your hair partially first, and use your favorite heat protectant on your hair, a hair dryer brush will likely damage your hair much less than a hair dryer and straight iron.
Is a Blow Dryer Brush Better for Hair than a Flat Iron?
Hair dryer brushes will likely damage your hair less than flat irons. They generally work with heat from blown air and don't directly press heat onto strands, so there's less chance of scalding. Even better, use a heat protectant and rough-dry or air dry your tresses a bit first before using your blow dry brush and your risk of damage will be even lower!
See Also:
7 Best Keratin Treatments at Home: Your Buyer's Guide